The Pre K Scholars curriculum centers on alphabet characters in a clever town called Scholarville—the concept for this town built on my interest in differences and diversity.

I wanted to replicate communities of today that are filled with rich cultural diversity, and I wanted to express a feeling of the beauty in this. I also wanted to display an active community full of charm and compassion, illustrating different activities and interests in motion.

Students and teachers will find Carmen the Cook cooking carrot soup, Nanako the nice neighbor who lives next door, Karate Kicking Kim, Otto the oceanographer and Bob the Baker baking brown bread—these are just a few of the characters. We seem to be drawn to Professor P.K.; he’s in his cap and gown, offering a thumb’s up sign (he is our guide to pronouncing sounds perfectly). In the castle just outside of town, you will find Queen Questa, motioning everyone with a “Shh!” signal; she quiets the town so questions can be answered and sounds can be heard!

All of Scholarville’s characters are illustrated by a very talented original artist/educator from Portland, Oregon named Carson Abbert. The original map of Scholarville was done with lined drawings and water color paint. My expressed criteria of importance was that it was inviting and showed cultural diversity as well as making the alphabet active. He had a two year old daughter at the time so I encouraged him to envision it hanging up in his daughter’s room, imagining it from a child’s eye view.

Carson’s result is quite clever, and the tool is proving to be quite motivating! It’s loved by children and most importantly, there is something within the town for everyone to relate to. Scholarville truly is a celebration of diversity!